I loved this. I always prefer stories that are character-driven, and Arifureta Kiseki was perfect. It follows Kana and Shouta, two people from different walks of life with a common pain that brings them closer together as the months go by. Nothing is perfect though, and throughout the drama they face road blocks in their relationship that require time and lots of development in each of them to overcome.

There are funny moments, there are heartbreaking moments, and there are adorable moments between all of the characters no matter their relationship with one another. Arifureta Kiseki explores the complexities of friendship, of family, and of being with the person you love, even if you're not sure you can be with them.

The acting was fantastic, and I really appreciated every moment. The episodes are around 40 minutes long, but I was never bored and I never wanted them to end. I think the music could've been a little better, but it did work for the show and was well-placed. I also found the scene jumps to be a little jarring, but honestly I don't care much about cinematography so I didn't mind. The best scene is the Irish dancing scene, and it was really well-done.

I would definitely watch this again and I'm glad it was my first Japanese drama. It was such a joy to watch; I'd recommend it to anyone that enjoys stories about *characters*. There isn't any action in this and the storyline is entirely about Kana and Shouta as they grow separately and together. It's just really, really well done.

9.5/10

**2020/04/11 - 6.0/10
I changed my rating because I realized that this isn't at all memorable for me. I don't remember the characters, what happened, or really anything about it that I discussed in my review. Shows that are true 9s for me are super memorable and the stories stay with me for years. Unfortunately, I felt that this was more of a 6 star show.